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Finding the story

Finding the story. How to make your story interesting. Stages in writing. Gather information Organize Write Rewrite. Four questions in organizing. What is my subject? What am I trying to say about it? How will I say it? Have I said it well enough?. What is my subject?.

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Finding the story

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  1. Finding the story How to make your story interesting

  2. Stages in writing • Gather information • Organize • Write • Rewrite

  3. Four questions in organizing • What is my subject? • What am I trying to say about it? • How will I say it? • Have I said it well enough?

  4. What is my subject? • Collect information • Make notes • Soak up information like a sponge • Think of interesting angles while you are gathering information • Write a formal report

  5. What am I trying to say? • Discuss the subject with someone • Tell him/her a story • Explain what happened • Give only the information the listener needs to understand

  6. The elevator pitch • Imagine you are in a lift with Bill Gates • What would you tell him about your project? • What is the most important thing to say? • You have 2 minutes! • Used with investors

  7. Nine Cs of an effective elevator pitch • Concise As few words as possible, but no fewer • Clear Your grandparents can understand it • Compelling Explains the problem • Credible Explains how you solved the problem • Conceptual Not unnecessary detail • Concrete Specific and tangible • Customized Addresses audience’s interests • Consistent Same basic message • Conversational Not complete, but aims to interest audience in more info

  8. How will I say it? • Four ways to start • Write a summary sentence • Write some possible leads • Write an ending • Write without notes

  9. How will I say it? • Make a short list of 7-8 categories your information falls into • Eg, Situation, Problem, Production, Intervention, Results, Solution • Label your notes with these categories • Sort the notes according to category • Sort the categories into a logical order

  10. Have you said it well enough? • Reread what you have written • Is it in the right order? • Is it interesting? Does it grab the reader’s attention? • Does it say anything new or useful?

  11. Have you said it well enough? • Ask someone else to read it • Ask them to be critical of the structure, organization, logical flow • Ask them if the piece is interesting, easy to read • Ask them what they learned after reading

  12. Sources • Jane Harrigan. 1992. Finding the story. Writer’s Digest Apr 1992, pp 36-9 • BBC SXSW (click on the video) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7947729.stm • Youtubewww.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq0tan49rmc • O’Leary: Elevator Pitch Essentials

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